Fallon began by explaining that he had been absent from the show to spend time with his family and make arrangements, and then began to choke up as he shared a story from his childhood.

“She was the best audience, she was the one I was always trying to make laugh,” he said. “She was such a fan of the show and everything I did.”

“When we were little, my mom would walk us to the store — me and my sister — and we would hold hands. And she would squeeze my hand three times and say, ‘I love you,’ and I would squeeze back, ‘I love you too.’ Last week I was in the hospital, at her side, and I grabbed her hand and I squeezed ‘I love you,’ and I just knew we were in trouble.”

He continued by thanking his fans for all their support during the tough time, and said everyone at the show would “work really hard to bring some light and some laughter into the world.”

He finished by addressing his mother: “Mom, I’ll never stop trying to make you laugh.”